Dryer and holder for plastic bags and similar objects



G. l. FETTER Jan. 3, 1956 DRYER AND HOLDER FOR PLASTIC BAGS AND SIMILAR OBJECTS Filed June 9, 1953 w 1 w d J 1 .T u w -|I v 0 4. i 1 J fl B K fi a in "1 ,2 w 1 r x 2 f g g 7 a 1 1 rm 9 11 r r w 2, a 2 ,r WU 8 2 2 4. 4 3) d/I 1 a 6 2 2 O @J 4 INVEN'R )R ATTURNFLS 2,729,413 DRYER AND HOLDER FOR PL STIC AGS AND his invention re ates to a stru ture in the nature f a k. ha i parti ularly d pt d to erv s a dry r n h r f r plastic bags or other obje s f a similar nature.

In rtain fields of ork, it is n cessa y h t a larg number of plastic bags or similar washable, flexible containers be used. In such instances, the'washing, rinsing, and drying of the bags is attended by considerable inconvenience, due to the fact that the natureof these articles is such as makes it diflicult to support the same in proper position to facilitate drying thereof.

The broad object of the present invention is to provide a rack-like structure that will be particularly designed for supporting plastic bags or other bag-like objects, in inverted positions in which drying thereof will be facilitated.

Another object of importance is to provide a structure as described wherein a plurality of standards will be utilized for supporting the bags to be dried, said standards being detachably connected to an associated base, in such a manner as to facilitate knocking down of the device in a manner that will permit the same to be stored away in a comparatively small area when not in use.

Another object of importance is to provide a rack of the nature described which will have the standards thereof formed to different lengths, said standards being arranged in ascending order of height, thereby to facilitate selection of a particular standard, for receiving a plastic bag of a particular size.

Another object is to provide a holder as described wherein some at least of the standards will be sectionally formed, thereby to allow the standards to be formed to selected heights.

Yet another object is to provide a construction where in the means employed for connecting the sections of a single standard will permit said sections to be quickly attached to or disconnected from one another, said means being so designed as to insure that the sections will be firmly interlocked when the standard is to be extended to its full length.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a plastic bag dryer and holder formed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view on line 2-2 of Figure 1, a supported bag being illustrated partly in elevation and partly in section;

Figure 3 is a top plan view;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing one of the sectional standards fully assembled; and

Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the sections of a single standard disconnected from one another.

The reference numeral has been applied in the drawing to designate, generally, a base that includes an elongated main support bar 11 formed to a rectangular cross sectional shape, said bar 11 being fixedly secured, at its opposite ends, to the mid-length portions of end bars 12. The end bars 12 can be of any desired outer configuration, and as will be noted, the base resulting from assembly of the main support bar 11 with the end bars 12 is formed substantially to an H shape when viewed in top plan as in Figure 3. By reason of this arrangement, a firm, rigid support is afforded for the remaining parts of the device.

Throughout its length, the main support bar 11 is formed with transverse notches 14, said notches being spaced equal distances apart over the full length of the bar. Notches 14 are adapted to receive the lower end portions of upstanding standards 16, 18, 20, 22, 24 and 26. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, there are more notches than there are standards. The purpose of this is to permit certain sectionally formed standards, to be described hereinafter, to be disassembled, thereby to permit the removed sections of said standards to be supported in the extra notches 14.

As will be noted, the standards 16, 18, 20 are not sectionally formed, each of these standards being fashioned from a single piece of straight material of fiat, rectangular cross section. At their lower ends, these standards are formed with downwardly facing notches, defining bifurcated lower end portions thereupon, the fork arms of which are adapted to straddle the main support bar 11 with the bight portions of said bifurcated lower ends being lockingly engaged in the notches 14.

The construction of the sectional standards is shown to advantage in Figure 5, in which it is seen that the standard 24, which is typical, has an enlarged, bifurcated head 28 at its upper end, said head having opposed side grooves 30. The formation of the side grooves 30 defines a bifurcated formation of head 28, wherein the fork arms of the head are connected by a cross piece 32 extending therebetween.

That portion of the sectional standard having the head 28 formed thereupon can be appropriately considered as a main portion, and detachably connectible to said main portion is an extension portion 34. Extension portion 34 of the standard 24 has, at its lower end, a downwardly facing notch 36. The notch 36 defines, at the lower end of the extension portion, fork arms that straddle the cross piece 32 and engage in the grooves 30 of head 28, be tween the fork arms of said head 28.

It is important to note, in this regard, that the formation of the lower end of the extension portion 34 is the same as the formation of the lower end of standards 16, 18, or 20. As a result, the extension portion 34 can be detached from its associated main portion, and used as a standard the lower end of which is lockingly engaged with the main support bar 11 of base 10.

The sectional standards 22, 26 also have heads on their main portions formed identically to that shown in Figure 5, the extension portions of the standards 22, 26 being designated by the reference numerals 38, 40 respectively.

Ordinarily, the several standards will be arranged in ascending order of height, said standards being formed to different lengths as best shown in Figure 1.

In use, any standard can be selected, to support a plastic bag B or similar object. The bag is inverted over the standard selected, and in this position, will be dis posed transversely of the base 10, out of contact with adjacent bags, thereby to facilitate drying of the bags.

It is to be noted that the device can be knocked down, for storage, in a minimum amount of time, the several standards being disassembled from the base readily and being capable of assembly with the base with equal facility.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles of operation and the means presently devised to carry out said principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A rack comprising a base having a notch; and a standard thereon including a first portion having at one end a bifurcation straddling the base and engaged in the notch, the first portion having at its other end a head formed with a bifurcation including fork aims and a cross piece connecting the same, and a second portion having at one end a bifurcation straddling the cross piece, the last-named bifurcation being a duplicate of the first bifurcation for selective engagement of either of said portions in the notch of the base in a base-straddling position.

2. A rack comprising a base having a notch; and a standard thereon including a first portion having at one end a bifurcation straddling the base and engaged in the notch, the first portion having at its other end a head formed with a bifurcation including fork arms and a cross piece connecting the same, and a second portion having at one end a bifurcation straddling the cross piece, the last-named bifurcation being a duplicate of the first bifurcation for selective engagement of either of said portions in the notch of the base in a base-straddling position, said head being formed to an H-shape when viewed in plan, thereby to engage the fork arms of the second bifurcation between the fork arms of the head in straddling relation to the cross piece of the head, the base being of a width equal to that of the cross piece for straddling of the base by the first-named fork arms when the second portion is connected to the base, opposite walls of the notch engaging the second portion when the second portion is so connected.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,038,198 Randall et a1. Sept. 10, 1912 1,089,290 Thompson Mar. 3, 1914 1,763,748 Best June 17, 1930 2,438,324 Pfefier Mar. 23, 1948 2,617,564 Vogt et a1 Nov. 11, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 162,888 Great Britain May 12, 1921 595,357 France July 13, 1925 

